Foot-guard for railway-switches, &amp;c.



T. A. PETEESON FOOT GUARDIOR RAILWAY SWITCHES, &0. APPLICATION FILED Mn 25, 1010.

965,653 Patented July 26, 1910.

V Fig-j.

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FOOT-GUARD FOR RAILWAY-SWITCHES, 860.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 26, 1910.

Application filed May 25, 1910. Serial No. 563,376.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE A. PETER- soN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of IVinton, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and Improved Foot-Guard for Railway-Qwitches, &c., of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention is an improvement in foot guards such as are used between guard and main rails and the rails of frogs and switches, etc., to prevent trainmen from getting their feet caught in crossing the tracks.

The invention has in view a guard of rela tively light and simple construction, on which dirt cannot collect and which will afford a firm support for the feet and offer a substantial brace to the rails.

To this end the guard consists of a corrugated plate which is arranged between the rails so as to present one edge of the plate upwardly, as a tread.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan of a froghaving my improved foot guard applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same on the line 29. of Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the guard plate detached from the rails; and Fig. 4 is a plan of a guard and main rail provided with the foot guard.

My improved foot guard is designed to be used between any two closely adjacent rails which are placed side by side, between which the feet of trainmen and others are apt to be caught in crossing the tracks, such arrangement of rails being generally prevalent in switches, frogs and between points where guard rails are provided.

For illustrating my invention I have selected a frog 5, and a main rail 6 and an adjacent guard rail 7. In each instance the guard comprises a guard plate 8, which is transversely corrugated and arranged between the rails so that the plate stands vertically, with the upper edge 9 presenting a tread, the plate being of a width equal to the height of the web of the rail, as shown 1 in Fig. 2, whereby the plate is adapted to rest on the base flanges of the rails and extend well up under the heads of the rails. The corrugations in the plate are suchas to conform to the space between the rails and bear at each side against the rail webs, to which the plate is bolted or otherwise secured at suitable points, the bolts ordinarily extending through the heads or apices of the corrugations.

With the guard thus constructed and applied, it ofiers a firm support for the foot, as well as provides a brace for the rails between which it is arranged. Also dirt or gravel falling between the rails will not collect on the footguard but will pass therethrough.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination of two relatively close railroad rails arranged side by side, and a foot guard plate vertically arranged between the rails and transversely corrugated, with the upper edge of the plate presenting a tread.

2. The combination of two relatively close railroad rails arranged side by side, and a foot guard plate arranged between the rails and transversely corrugated, with the heads or apices of the corrugations at opposite sides approximately vertically arranged and bearing against the webs of the rails.

railroad rails arranged side by side, and a foot guard plate arranged between the rails and transversely corrugated, with one side edge of the plate seating on the base flanges of the rails and the opposite side edge of the plate presenting a tread.

l. A rail foot guard comprising a rail guard plate corrugated transversely, with the corrugations vertically arranged and providing a tread at the upper edge.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THEODORE ANTHONY PETERSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN P. JAcoBsoN, A. F. I-IoLcoMB-E.

3. The combination of two relatively close. 

